Watching 'Teen Mom' Makes You More Likely to Support Abortion

The MTV shows Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant depict teens as they struggle with their unintended pregnancies while still in high school. The shows definitely make having a baby look less like playing house and more like a babysitter's worst nightmare, but they also offer a certain celebrity to the "stars," which some say glorifies pregnancy. A recent report highlighted by Double X has found that while the show might glamorize these teenagers, ultimately, it leads teens to favor abortion over having children at too-young an age:

And that's where Teen Mom comes in. Once you frame the abortion issue in the context of a specific woman's circumstances, whether she's a personal acquaintance or someone on TV, PRRI found that opinion tends to favor abortion rights. Conversely, once you frame it in terms of a specific fetus's circumstances--say, by recalling the ultrasound image of a friend's growing fetus on her Facebook wall--opinion swings the other way.

For all the pro-choicers out there who are still complain that the fecund high schoolers of 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom glamorize teen pregnancy--you should stop complaining. The elevation of the stars these shows might help abortion remain legal for future generations.